The far-right representative has plunged the House into chaos—and turned his own party against him.

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[–] 97 points 3 years ago (24 children)

The growing anger towards Gaetz is unlikely to help him as Republicans weigh whether to expel him from Congress.

Ha fucking ha. No they won't. There's still that weirdo liar Santos. If they still haven't done anything with him, I seriously doubt they'll do jack dandy to teen sex trafficker Gaetz.

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  • [–] 63 points 3 years ago (22 children)

    What will it take for republicans to expel one of their own? Apparently child trafficking isn’t it.

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  • [–] 50 points 3 years ago (12 children)

    Working with democrats or reaching across the isle in any form

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  • [–] 26 points 3 years ago (9 children)

    This.

    McCarthy did the right thing for once, and came up with a solution to the looming shutdown that managed to pass by getting both Republican and Democratic votes. And he got shitcanned for it.

    The message here is that as far as MAGA Republicans are concerned, bipartisanship is a firing offense.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (8 children)

    And now Republicans blame Democrats for not supporting him lmao

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  • [–] 5 points 3 years ago (7 children)

    It may have been a no win choice for Dems, but I’m a little worried that we’re gonna end up with a much worse speaker.

    Keeping McCarthy would have at least been fucking over Gaetz.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (6 children)

    I'm hoping they're unable to coalesce around another person.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (3 children)

    Yeah, that seems like it’s best case.

    Dream case would be the less right reps putting up someone sensible enough for Dems to support.

    This predicates a sensible candidate existing, so will remain a dream (and still a shitty one, like dreaming a full day of school just before waking up on a school day).

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (2 children)

    At this point no one knows really. This could also end up being the beginning of the Republican Party permanently fracturing. It seems we get closer to that each day.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago* (1 child)

    I think that would have already happened if the moderates thought they’d have any chance at winning elections as a centrist party, but first past the pole voting keeps 3rd party candidates out of contention in most districts. The math is against it happening, or it might have happened back when the dipshit tea partiers arrived.

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  • [–] 14 points 3 years ago (4 children)

    Maybe if their constituents actively annoyed them about it for long enough? Far-fetched, but it might just work.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (3 children)

    They have staffers to make sure that doesn't happen.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    Ain't no staffers got shit on a handful of people with vuvuzela following the representative around whenever they're in public. Rotate the shifts, 1 hour each, and you only need 24 people daily for permanent vuvuzela brrrrrrr heralding their elected official of choice.

    I would also enjoy watching a legion of mimes mockingly reacting to representatives in interviews, if the vuvuzela is too 'public nuisance'.

    Or both. Both would be great. Public shaming could be a very creative and cathartic outlet.

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  • [–] 12 points 3 years ago

    The Realpolitik of the situation is that if they expel Santos, he gets replaced by a Democrat immediately, who will swim to re-election. Gaetz is in a safe Republican district under a Republican governor, so they can replace him without causing any real problems.

    Not to even remotely equate the situations, but it's the same reason why Dems went after Franken and are going after Menendez right now; it doesn't cost them anything to do so. They'd be much less likely to go after someone like Senator Manchin of WV, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Senators Warnock and Ossoff of Georgia unless they were absolutely forced to, since doing so would mean the loss of the Senate.

    And it is a genuinely messy question. How heinous an act is worth losing the ability to pass any legislation and make any judicial appointments? I really don't think there is a clear answer to that. A few Senators made the difference between Roe v. Wade standing and falling.

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